One of the more disagreeable aspects of snow skiing is that of waiting in line for the ski lift. Although the lift may consist of a chair lift, a T-bar, a J-bar, or a rope tow, they all have one thing in common and that is the "lift line". This is the column of skiers waiting one-behind-the-other to use the lift, each skier advancing slowly along the queue toward the loading point of the lift. Such a lift can become quite long and over irregular ground; the snow becomes packed and frozen, so that it is very slippery. At a particular point in time, the skier may be located on an upwardly-sloping stretch of ground. He then has a tendency to slide rearwardly and become entangled in the skis and other apparatus of the skiers behind him. This is particularly true when the lift line is very crowded and the skiers are spaced closely together, so that the individual skier cannot use his poles properly. This dangerous situation is accentuated where two portions of a lift line come together and while the skier is attempting to manuever around a turn in a sinuous lift line. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a ski attachment operative effectively to prevent rearward sliding of a skier on a slippery, inclined surface.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a ski attachment that is useful in an icy lift line to inhibit rearward movement of the skier.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a ski attachment to prevent embarrassment, damage to property, and personal injury to a skier in a ski lift line due to slipping and falling.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a ski attachment, including an anti-slippage pawl which, when stored on the upper part of the ski in inoperative position, does not interfere with normal skiing activity.
A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of a ski attachment which is simple in construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a ski attachment in the form of a non-slip pawl with storage means which is not rendered inoperative by the accummulation of snow and ice.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an anti-slide ski attachment which, when in inoperative storage condition, has a low profile, so that it not only has a pleasing appearance, but is free from sharp edges that could cause injury.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.